Light In Darkness
by Shiho Hahnenfuss
Summary: [EPILOGUE is up!]While Lina fought alone against Phibrizzo in NEXT 25-26, what happened to the others who had fallen? A view of the afterlife, or what came before it, from the eyes of the princess and the chimera. (AZ) Rated for slightly adult themes.
1. Prologue:Obscurum

**A/N on the Story:** This fic was inspired partly by Purple Mouse's Fushigi Yuugi fic, 'Afterlife', and partly by another Ranma 1/2 fic I can't recall. After watching the last episodes of NEXT, this idea grabbed me and wouldn't let go ^_~ It's a bit Z/A, so if you're offended by this kind of thing, too bad. And yes, I do realize that this has a veeery short beginning. I hate beginnings. -_- 

Guess the POVs. It's not too hard. Each page break signifies a POV change. Mostly between two people, though the POV changes once to the 3rd-person.

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Light In Darkness

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Prologue: Obscurum

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I'd never really thought much about the possibility of my death. I mean, the heroine never dies in the story, right? At most, she's severely injured or something, but never…gone. The heroine's supposed to vanquish evil with the light of Justice and return victorious to her friends. 

_Then again, I have no doubt that Miss Lina will do just that. Although admittedly, there wouldn't be much emphasis on the 'Justice' bit._

I never knew dying would hurt that much; like having a vice constricting your throat till you couldn't breathe, or like a steel hook jabbed into your heart and violently jerked out, or like a fist crushing your soul into a million tiny fragments… 

Well, it was over, at least. 

Lifting my head, I took in the surroundings. Well, I tried to, anyway. Everything was so dark… and it wasn't natural, like night, where you could at least make a distinction between the ground and your foot, if you squinted hard enough. It was DARK, so dark that I couldn't even see the floor. 

Or maybe the floor, like everything else here, was black as well.

It was rather scary, being there alone in the darkness, with only the sound of my breathing echoing through the silence, wondering what would happen to me, wondering what was happening to everyone else. How much time had passed? Were they all okay? What was Phibrizzo doing to all of them? 

What if he killed them too?

I gave myself a mental shake. _Stop it. Have faith in them; they'll beat him, and we'll all go back together and have another adventure-_

But even as I tried to find comfort in those thoughts, there was still the dreaded realization that maybe I wouldn't join them for a new quest... 

… ever again. 

~*~

The last I remembered was the agonizing jolt that seared through my chest, the hard impact of my body against the cold floor and the absolute knowledge that my heart had stopped- 

--then I woke up. 

_Where…_

I glanced around. Nothing but black. 

_Where am I?_

For a brief moment, it was all a nightmare. I would wake up at any moment and sit up in bed, panting hard, and I would tell myself that it was all in my head.

_Okay, time to wake up._

_..._

_Wake UP._

_... Can't._

_What the HELL do you mean?! If it's all a dream, I can bloody well WAKE UP, right?! _

_... but it's not._

This was different. This was one nightmare I couldn't-- _wouldn't--_ wake up from. 

_This is how it ends?_

Was this it? The end of my quest? A death at the hands of a Dark Lord, without even striking a blow, right after holding a cooling, dying body in my arms, that life-giving breath leaving her lungs one last time… 

Oh, good Ceipheid. Amelia. 

She died, and I didn't even lift a finger to save her… 

_But what could you have done? _An inner voice spoke with a note of finality. _Even if she hadn't been killed at that exact moment, there was nothing you could do to prevent Hellmaster from destroying her---and you- at any time he felt like it._

_Nothing you COULD do at all._

_Useless._

_Pathetic. _

_Weak._

Each word dug beneath the stone skin; searing pains drilled into my consciousness and embedded themselves as eternal brands that mocked my weakness. 

_If I were stronger…I could have…_

I punched the ground, gritting my teeth. Helpless _again,_ just like when Amelia was brutally injured by Gaav; when Mazenda trapped us in her astral pocket with no way out; when Halcyform toyed with us in his mansion; when a man in red robes lifted his staff with a cruel smile on his face to a naïve, foolish youth… 

Too many failures, and failure came with a price. 

Damn it all. 

_I want to be strong! Strong!_

But it didn't matter any more… did it? 

~*~

_Both figures, each in their own part of the darkness, lowered their heads in despair. _

_She wept in silence. _

_He howled in agony. _

_A watcher turned away, her own heart sharing the sorrow of the two. _

_"How long do we leave them like this?" _

_"A little while more... and then we meet them once again." _

**~TBC**


	2. Chapter 1: Resero

**A/N:** Whoo, five reviews for the newbie! Kudos to, in chronological order, **Ichiban Victory** (fear not, the theme of 'sad' never lasts long in a Slayers fic ^_~), **Sunoko** (my faithful beta-reader..;_; thankees! As to where I'm from, here's a hint; check my LJ at my profile. ^^), **Cookie **(ya ain't seen nothin' yet ^_^), **Destructive Sorceress** (Hook, line and sinker ^_^;; well, I was watching NEXT for the Nth time and I thought, hey, since ol' Halcy ain't used much, why not? Besides, it's a good example of one of Zel's power-less times ^^) and **The Narrator** (salute to you too ^_^)!

Thanks for your comments on Zel and Amelia's angsty bits. I was nervous at first because I'd never written angst before, but now I'm a bit more satisfied ^_^ Once again, huggles to Sunoko for all the betaing done and burning stakes stuck up my backside. Whoo.

**A/N on the Story**: And now, as no Slayers fic can have long-lasting angst, I give you… something different. ^_~ Be warned of slightly adult themes, and keep those mental images to yourself.

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Light In Darkness

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One: Resero

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I can't tell how much time I spent in a foetal position, shaking involuntarily, curled up on my knees and arms with my forehead resting on the ground. It was a while before I composed myself and stood, assessing the situation with as little emotion as possible; I needed a clear head. 

The first thought that came to mind was to examine what I had. As I was oddly invisible in the darkness, touch was the only sense I could rely on. 

However, said sense was telling me that I was, to put it crudely, butt naked. 

There was a brief pause. 

I checked again. 

Definitely naked. 

_… I suppose the only consolation is the fact that in the dark, no one can see you blush. _

Not the most important point to consider at that moment. The question was: What was I supposed to do now? 

_Premise 1: I'm dead._

_Premise 2: Amelia is dead._

_Premise 3: I'm in a dark place, and I'm currently lacking in the clothing department._

_Conclusion: Amelia might also be in this place, and currently lacking in-_

_… I am NOT finishing that thought._

I gave myself a sharp thwack on the head. _Now is NOT the time to let five years of suppressed hormones act up. Get a GRIP. _

_But whyyy? It's fun!_

_… Shut up._

Then I remembered that having a conversation with oneself was considered an early sign of dementia, so I cut off the annoying little voice and contemplated my next move. 

_Does magic work, I wonder?_

"_Lighting," _I chanted. 

A brilliantly shining ball of light energy did not appear. 

_No magic. Right, _I thought wryly. _So if something big and ugly comes this way, I could try punching it to death. Not a very tempting prospect._

There was something prodding me at a corner of my mind. I was forgetting something, but what? Something about my earlier discovery. 

A third check confirmed that I had absolutely nothing except the attached body parts. For some reason, though, the skin felt softer than usual, and there was some kind of fuzzy, hairy sensation to it-- 

_Fuzzy? Hairy?_

I pulled the hairs. 

"… Ow." 

_… I can feel pain? But that's impossible! That could only happen if I were…_

"… human?" I breathed aloud. 

"Indeed you are," a man's voice sounded through the darkness. 

Instinctively, I swung a fist at the voice. Knuckles connected with bone, and the sound of stumbling footsteps and a grunt indicated that the speaker had staggered backward. 

I paid no attention to him. I was rubbing my fist, amazed; it had hurt. I actually felt pain from the simple action of punching. I could _feel_ again, for the first time in years. 

I was _human_. After so long, so much frustration and misery… I was no longer a freak. For a moment, I felt like weeping in pure joy. 

The moment was very brief as the voice interrupted my exultation. 

"Aye, lad, 'tis a wonderful thing indeed, for ye to be your true bodily self again…but is the exchange worth it?" 

There was a sudden glow, which illuminated the speaker; and for the first time since I'd died, I saw another face. 

My jaw dropped.

Rodimus stood before me with a frown, rubbing his reddening chin. 

"Some things, Master Zelgadis, just aren't worth the price." 

~*~

Walking in total darkness isn't easy. You have to tread really carefully, stick your arm out and sort of sweep your foot ahead of you to check for any uneven area of ground, since you can't tell when you might accidentally step into a hole or walk into a wall, or something. 

It took several minutes of sweep-walking to confirm that the ground was perfectly even and I could walk freely without falling on my face. 

_Now what?_ I frowned. _There doesn't seem to be anything here... or anyone else._

There was a rasping sound. 

_... I had to say it, didn't I?_

"Is there anyone there?" I called out. There was no reply. A faint trace of fear slowly crept up on the corners of my mind.

_What am I going to do if something attacks? I don't even have clothes! It might do something really unpleasant to me…_

Something cold tapped me on the shoulder.

"GYAAAAAH!!!!" Screaming, I launched a kick behind me and planted it into the something, shoving it away from me. I leapt back, raised my fists and stared at the ambusher. It looked a lot like a giant snake, if snakes came with bluish skin, pointed ears and sharp amber eyes... 

_Is that…a Brau Demon? The head looks like it, but…I thought Brau Demons were sorta human-shaped…Wait. This is the Astral Plane…so it might have a different form._

_At any rate, I'm in very big trouble._

The demon was glowing a soft blue that penetrated the darkness, in a way that light spells could not. It seemed to eye me quizzically as it raised its head, and I wondered if it was, perhaps, contemplating how edible I would be. Shivering slightly, I gulped. 

Then it spoke. 

"Hello, little Amelia." 

I stiffened. How did it know my name? It slithered closer as I backed away. 

"W-who are you? What are you planning to do to me?" I managed to ask. It paused, raising its tail to its chin in a weird parody of a thinking pose. 

"What do _you_ think I'm planning to do?" it replied. 

I took a deep breath. 

"W-well, I think that you're going to eat me, since Brau Demons like you are lesser demons that are closely tied to the Astral Plane and generally like to eat human souls, and if you're planning to eat me I won't let you because I don't want you to, and eating people who don't want to be eaten is unjust! And if you try to do something unjust, as a warrior of Justice I will have to stop your evil plan!!" 

The demon blinked, apparently stunned by the truth and force of my speech. 

Then it started guffawing, rolling on the floor and shaking with wheezing laughter. 

_... Well, it was worth a shot._

Huffing indignantly, I folded my arms. 

"It's not nice to laugh at someone else's speeches," I rebuked. It gave one last chuckle before rising onto its haunches (well, its rear end. I wonder if 'haunches' is applicable for big serpents…but that's beside the point.) and reminding me that yes, I was in a life-or-death situation here. Well, maybe not life-or-death, more like, being-eaten-or-not-being-eaten. Or something like that. 

"Sorry," it apologized, which was pretty amazing since Mazoku weren't well-known for their remorse… though the creepy sharp-toothed grin it gave me was not too reassuring. "It's just that I can't control myself whenever you go into your Little Miss Justice mode--" he snickered slightly, "--so... eheh… I'm sorry." 

"Apology accepted. So... um..." I eyed it cautiously. "Are you going to eat me?" 

Much to my relief, it shook its head. Pleased at this turn of events, I walked closer and touched it curiously. The skin felt smooth, not scaly like a snake, and the colour of it reminded me of someone… 

_Zelgadis... he's part Brau Demon, isn't he?_

"Do you mind? I'm not fond of being molested, y'know," it drawled. Blushing, I withdrew my hand. 

"Sorry, Mr. Brau Demon." 

"Nah, it's okay. I scared you earlier, so we're sorta even." 

There was a pause, during which I shuffled my feet nervously. 

"Mr. Brau Demon? Can I ask you a question?" 

"Sure." 

"Where are we? I think we're sort of in the Astral Plane, but that's about it... and how did you know my name?" 

It raised an eyebrow. "That's two questions." 

"Um... okay, just the first one, then. If you don't really mind me asking..." 

"Not really... we've got time to kill." 

"We do? What are we waiting for?" 

"Now that, little Amelia, is a secret." 

"... Are you Mr. Xelloss in disguise?" 

"Let's just say I know him and leave it at that. Sit down; this'll take a while." 

"Okay, Mr. Brau Demon." 

" Call me Bob. It's a lot easier." 

"_Bob?_ I thought demons usually had fancy names and stuff..." 

"I do. My real name's Veathradionukumnanîndub, but since that gets badly garbled in the human language, just call me Bob." 

"... Okay, Mr. Bob." 

**~TBC**

**A/N**: This is what a Brau Demon is in the Slightly Odd Slayers Universe Of Mine, with reference to QP's Slayers Page and my own experience fighting them in the Slayers SNES game. 

_Brau Demon__: A lesser demon that, although not a pure Mazoku itself, can access the Astral Plane in a more serpentine form of its physical self. This 'snake' form is due to the fact that Brau Demons are more closely tied to the real world than Mazoku (who take on very different forms in the Ast. P) but are not the equivalent of humans, who are from the real world itself and thus, if present in the Ast. P, retain their human forms. Brau Demons are able to utilize Shamanism better than most humans due to this tie to the Ast. P._

_BDs that are in the Ast. P enjoy consuming wayward souls/spirits. Whether this is a necessity for energy regeneration, or merely a cruel hobby of these creatures, is unknown, as no one has actually found out the reasons behind it._

_In the real world, BDs are sentient goblin-like creatures that are usually solitary and keep away from humans, preferring forests and caves. However, evil wizards occasionally capture them for the purpose of having evil minions (The demons usually get their revenge after said wizard is defeated by a stronger one, e.g.: the Dra-mata.)_

… And there you have it. ^_^;; *skips off* 


	3. Chapter 2: Invenio

**A/N:** And another four reviews for Chapter Uno. Bob the Brau Demon seems to be a hit. ^_^ I like replying to reviews, for some reason, so bear with me…

**Morgeil**, you reminded me of the strange resemblance between those two O_O I haven't watched ReBoot in yeears, and the sheer coincidence! They're both, er, blue, and have a weird attitude, and—whoops. Not giving away anything, now ^_~ 

**Phizzy-chan**: This fic doesn't deserve that title, really. *^_^* Zel and Amelia won't be meeting for a while more…gotta do some plot stuff first. Don't worry, they will. Although not in the most ideal of circumstances… (dramatic music plays)

**deep sea dolphin**: Mature writing style? O_o Well, thanks, I guess. It helps to know that my years of reading older people's work aren't in vain ^_^ Eat the candies anyway! Here's the update!

Aaaand… **Winged Dancer**!! One of the legendary authoresses hath bequeathed a review upon this humble newbie! I'm not worthy TT_TT I'm honored that you actually stopped by to read a no-name's fic… On Bob, he's based on a character of mine in another RK fanfic (I seem to reuse the same personas in original charries… _) As for what's gonna happen? Wait and see ^_^ This is an afterlife fic in a way, but they're going back, or else we wouldn't have TRY ^_^

**A/N On The Story:** This fic is actually complete. It consists of about 8 chapters or so, counting the Prologue and Epilogue ^_^ However, I'm not gonna let 'em all out at once, so that it'll just be like an actual fic ^_~ But at least, you may rest in ease in the knowledge that this is one fic that ain't gonna be abandoned… (grin )

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Light In Darkness

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Chapter 2: Invenio

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_"Rodimus?"_

The grizzled swordsman nodded. "It's good to see you again, lad... although this was the last way I'd have planned for a meeting." 

My head hung lower. "So... I _am_ dead, after all." 

"Don't be too hard on yourself, Zelgadis. There was nothing you could've done; you WERE opposing the Hellmaster, after all," another familiar voice spoke. 

I was slightly less surprised to see Zolf standing beside Rodimus, twirling his moustache in a habit he'd picked up recently. Before he died, that is. 

"I..." Words would not come. What can you say when you meet friends whom you witnessed being blasted into ashes by a fragment of the Ruby-Eyed Lord? 

_Somehow, I don't think 'Hi! So how's being dead been?' is very appropriate._

Zolf raised an eyebrow and turned to Rodimus. "I think he's in shock. Can I hit him?" 

"I am NOT in shock," I snapped. The sorcerer grinned. 

"So you're still awake, after all. I was beginning to wonder if your mind'd been cracked by that Phibrizzo guy at the same time he cracked your life-orb," he drawled. 

I stared at him, and then shook my head slowly, chuckling. 

"It's good to see you both again, despite the circumstances." 

"Uh-huh. I'd never have expected you of all people to get killed so soon, though. Of all the enemies you had to pick, it had to be a Dark Lord, didn't it?" Zolf gave me a wry look. "I thought you were smarter than that." 

"Zolf..." Rodimus warned. 

"This from a man who tried to pull a Dragon Slave on its source of power…" I grumbled. Strangely enough, I couldn't think of a better defence against his insult.

_Why _did _I do it, anyway? _

_If memory serves me right, you accompanied Lina because you said that if she went alone and defeated the Hellmaster, she'd never let you hear the end of it._

_Well, she wouldn't. And having Lina plague me with her gloating is a fate worse than death._

_You could leave them. You could do it anytime._

_But I can't._

_Why?_

_Because... _

_Why?_

_They're... my friends. And I can't leave any one of them who needs my help. Even if I have to do something foolish like face a Mazoku Lord._

"You've learned that at last, haven't you?" Rodimus's voice interrupted my thoughts. 

"Learned what?" I replied, confused. 

"That you can care for people. Friends. You know, the thing we've been trying to teach you to do since we first met at Rezo's," Zolf explained. 

"Wait a minute." I frowned suspiciously at him. "You can read my mind?" 

"Not your _mind_, lad. But in this place, where the body isn't..." The swordsman tapped lightly on his breastplate. "...we can hear your _heart_'s voice." 

"Heart? What heart?" I laughed harshly, a tinge of bitterness in my voice. "I haven't had one since the day I was turned into a freak." 

Zolf groaned. "He's still going on about that, isn't he, Rodimus?" He glared at me. "Has nothing we've been trying to drill into that stone head of yours stayed there? You are _not, _and have never BEEN, a freak. Just because you've got lousy skin and hair, you've been whining on and on about how pathetic you are and how you hate the world and the world hates you, yadda yadda yadda--" 

"Zolf..." 

"--and the whole time we've been watching you, all you do is angst away about the fact that you're a chimera. It's like what that princess girl--Amelia, wasn't it? -- has been trying to tell you; what you look like does NOT matter. It's the _inside_ that counts, got it? And the worst thing about you is the fact that the only time you're _finally_ happy is when you're cured. Well, call the town criers out, _sir_, 'cause you're DEAD. Your cured-ness isn't worth half a copper. And you know what? You wasted too many perfectly good opportunities to be happy with your friends just because you wanted to be 'aloooone'. Geez, I can't count the number of times I've wanted to smack you over the head with a club when you did something stupid out of your damned leave-me-alone-because-I'm-a-monster complex--" 

"_Zolf..._" 

"--and on top of that, you have no bloody sense of humour, you know that? I would've thought that after the whole Rezo-Shabranigdu business you'd lighten up at least a _little_, but noooo, you have to go on and on with your dramatics and be gloomy every time something messes up your plans. For Cepheid's sake, learn to look on the bright side of life once in a while! At this rate, you're not gonna get yourself a girlfriend anytime soo--" 

"_ZOLF!!_" 

THWACK. 

"Owowow!!! Hey!!" 

Rodimus lowered his gauntleted fist to his side, giving Zolf a disapproving look. "While some of what you say has merit, I will _not_ tolerate you being rude to Master Zelgadis. Is that clear?" 

"Great, now YOU'RE another one who needs to lighten up." 

THWACK. 

I eyed them, partly amused and partly disturbed. "You two haven't changed at all." 

"At least you're enjoying it, lad." Rodimus sighed. 

I folded my arms and looked at them, curious. 

"So… what brings you two here? Or rather, where am I? Pardon my ignorance, but somehow getting a lecture on my social life wasn't quite what I imagined the afterlife to present…" 

Zolf nursed the bump on his head. (For spirits, they seemed solid enough… maybe it was some kind of Astral Plane thing that allowed ghosts to be hit by others of the same kind) He shot a glare at Rodimus before turning to me. 

"Well, Zelgadis. It's like this…" 

~*~

"You're in a pocket of the Astral Plane known to humans as 'Limbo'."

I blinked. 

"Limbo? Isn't that some kind of foreign pole dance?" 

Bob raised an eyebrow. "Was that intentional?" 

"Huh?" 

"Ah, forget about it. If you wanna know about the name, go ask some shamanist. Anyway, Limbo's a place where souls that still have strong ties to the world, like you (he pointed at me with his tail), can hang around and keep an eye on the living if you like." 

"Strong ties?" 

"Things like family. Friends. Spouses. Whatever. In your case, part of your soul." 

"Part of my…soul? But that means…" 

He nodded. "You're not truly dead." 

_So there's hope yet? If I'm not completely gone…I can still go back, somehow. I can't give up yet! There's gotta be a way to go back, as long as I'm not dead!_

"Not _yet_, that is." 

That remark brought my inner cheering to a screeching halt. 

"Eh?" 

"You can be saved only if that Lina Inverse manages to defeat the Hellmaster. And though I've seen what she can do, it's gonna take a MIRACLE for her to do that-" 

"You're wrong!" I yelled indignantly. "Miss Lina will defeat him, with the help of our friends and the strength of Good! I have faith in them!" 

Bob's expression darkened, and I wondered if perhaps I'd gone too far by raising my voice at him, but then he shook his head. 

"Are you so sure that your friends have survived?" 

~*~

There was a moment of pensive thought after Zolf had fallen silent. To be revived, Lina had to defeat Phibrizzo. To defeat him, there was only one option I could think of, and it was one that could lose everything in an all-or-nothing gamble. 

_The Giga Slave._

"You've got that right. And if she casts that whopper of a spell…" The sorcerer shook his head. "The whole world could go poof." 

"'Poof' is a bit of an understatement, Zolf." 

"Yeah, yeah. You get the idea. Same thing, anyway." 

I sighed. "But knowing Lina…" 

"… she'd do it anyway," we finished simultaneously. 

Rodimus traced a circle in the darkness with his sword, which dissolved into a hazy mist of colour. As I squinted at it, the mist gradually sharpened into a visible scene… 

Martina was hysterically slashing the air with Zangulus's Howling Sword, launching wave after wave of wind blades at a smirking Phibrizzo. She was yelling something at Lina, who had fallen on her knees with a stunned expression. 

And on the floor, I could see bodies. 

A bright splash of white and pink. 

A patch of blue and purple. 

A figure in beige. 

One more in brown. 

I could feel my fingers clench tightly against my palm. 

_That's… that's every one of us, isn't it? Only two left…_

_No. _

A smirk twisted the child-like features of Phibrizzo's face.

_One._

And as I watched, horrified, the Lord of Death crushed one more fragile orb between those deceptively delicate fingers. 

~*~

I felt Bob twitch. 

The two of us were sitting back-to-back in the darkness. After his semi-disturbing explanation, it wasn't long before I'd remembered my lack of clothing and turned away from Bob, somewhat embarrassed.  That brought us to the current situation. 

_Hmm…can he actually see me, though?_

_I guess it wouldn't hurt to ask._

"Mr. Bob?" 

"Mm-hmm?" 

"I was wondering… How do I look like? To you, I mean…"

"Well… I sense you like all Brau Demons can do to souls, and I suppose, in a vague way, that I 'see' your soul as a blob of light in the Astral Plane, but that's about it. Other souls can probably see you, though." He nudged me gently with his tail. "Oh, and I can feel you, too." 

"Oh. Okay." _A blob? _I looked at my hands, puzzled. There was a dim white glow that I hadn't noticed before when I had woken up in Limbo; why was that?

Pause. 

"By the way, Mr. Bob… how do you know my name?" 

He raised his head and gazed at a distant point in the darkness. 

"Some friends, in a way… they told me a lot about you. My partner knows you quite well, too." He chuckled. 

I blinked. "Really?" 

"Mm-hmm. In fact…" Bob's voice took on a more serious tone. "There's a friend of mine who'd like to meet you again. It's about time she got here." Mumbling, "…Though I suppose I shouldn't have gone so far ahead of her."

_Someone who'd like to meet me again? _I was puzzled. _Here? But that could only be another dead person…and I don't know anyone who could be friends with a Brau Demon…_

In the darkness, I saw a glow. The source of it, as it approached, _felt_ familiar… A warm, comforting aura seemed to radiate from whatever--- whoever--- was producing the glow. 

_… what if…_

A tail nudged me forward. 

"Go on, then," Bob said. "She's been waiting for a long time for this." 

Slowly, I walked closer, trying to make out the figure in the glow, to confirm my suspicions. If I was right… if she was really… 

A voice I knew called out, and I froze. 

_I've heard that voice before!… so long ago…_

            _…what if..?_

"My dear Mel…" 

And I ran into her outstretched arms, flinging my own around her and embracing her, holding on tightly, breathing in her sweet scent of roses, tears streaking down my cheeks, and burying my face into her chest as I hadn't done for the past ten years. 

"I missed you… Mommy…" 

**~TBC**

**A/N:** Aaaaack, melodrama. Not used to this kinda stuff. _~;; I hope the Amelia/Mother scene turned out okay, and not too um…stereotypical. Ok, fine, it was. Sue me. I couldn't think of a better way to put it. This was the hardest part of the story to write . and it's lousy and so shoooort…. 


	4. Chapter 3: Abscedo, Part I

**A/N:** Chappie 3! And lots of lovely reviews for the previous one. I can't help grinning like a maniac every time I see a new review (and chapter 2 made my cheeks hurt from grinning too much, but who cares? ^_^) Thanks for all your comments, guys and gals and those in between! You know the drill; in chronological order…

**The Narrator**, last review of Ch.1 and 2nd of Ch. 2: As I said, no Slayers story can stick to the angst theme for too long. If it does, it ain't Slayers! It'd be…I dunno, Dragonlance or something. No insult intended to that nice series, of course. ^_^ Zel has that naked-fixation thing because hey, he's a chimera (or was), and being exposed to the elements was one thing he must've been very sensitive about, since being naked would show his so-called monstrosity in all its horrors. Ame's righteousness will stick with her anywhere, since it's deeply ingrained in her very nature, and not just her thoughts. Bob is… a secret! ^_~

**Claudia22****: **I think I commented on this to someone before; we all know Zel's a closet pervert. And since he tends to think waaay ahead, combined with my experience with such far-conclusion-type people… '^__^' ß lookit! Horns!****

**Ichiban Victory**: I forgive you ^_^ Zolf is basically just saying what a whole lot of Zel/Ame fans have been screaming at him through the TV screen, don't you agree? In my opinion, death doesn't really change a person's attitude much, unless it's a little bit for the better ^^ You're right, Brau Demons are woefully lacking in most fics, save the rare few that talk of them as either mazoku (which they are NOT, I repeat, NOT, see QP's page) or just evil monsters. But hey, there's an oddball in every bunch ^_^ No comment on the golem thing….(coughhintcough) And Zel and Ame will have some talkie time before meeting, of course. That's one of the points of this fic, really ^_^ 

**Earth Star: **Thanks for the review ^_^ I think Ame's mom hardly ever appears in fanfics. I'm gonna fix that! (charges off)

**Phizzy-chan**: Here's Amelia's mom for you ^_~ Enjoy the ride!

**Sunoko: **Ah, faithful beta TT_TT How I owe you for correcting me and giving several fantastic lines to use in this fic. The pole dance thing was my own creation, at least ^_~ And your most memorable being "In the dark, no one can see you blush." (cackles)

**deep sea dolphin**: Non-existant indeed. _ _ ^_^ Lessee if we can do something about that in… now that is a secret ^_~

**A/N On The Story:** This fic just keeps swinging between sad and funny, like a pendulum. I can't seem to keep long enough to one mood. ^_^ Nothing much to comment on, except that 'Abscedo', the name of this chapter, is actually a two-parter. It was originally a single chapter, but it was unusually long, so I split it. It's still longer than 'Invenio', though O_O

**

Light In Darkness

** **

Chapter 3: Abscedo, Part I

**

"DAMMIT!!" I pounded a fist against the window, gritting my teeth in frustration. "There has to be a way… some other way than this!" 

Someone laid a hand on my shoulder. I tore my eyes away from the scene, looking desperately at Rodimus for an answer. He shook his head. 

"It's out of your hands now, lad. The only thing you can do now is wait… and hope." 

_Hope? _

_Hope is a weak excuse to avoid admitting an impossibility._

_And yet… hope is what keeps us all going, isn't it?_

Zolf nodded. "That's the spirit." 

"Hope, eh?" I sat, resting my arms on my knees. There was nothing else any of us could do now. 

Nothing we could do…but hope. 

~*~

"So…" Bob trailed off. 

Once the more emotional part of the reunion was over, my mother let go of me, walked over to the Brau Demon and smacked him. 

I blinked. 

"Heey! What was that for?!" he cried indignantly. 

"You deserved it. I'd distinctly told you _not_ to go ahead of me while we were looking for my daughter, but nooo, you had to run off and play the big, scary strange monster just to frighten her to death." She grabbed his snout and pulled his head down to eye level. "I won't have such behaviour from you. Do you understand?" 

Bob nodded meekly. 

_Yup, that's Mommy, all right._

She turned to me with a gentler expression. 

"My, how you've grown since I'd left…" She patted me on the head like she used to do, smiling. "Don't worry about the height, sweetie. That will come eventually. You don't have tall parents for nothing, after all." 

I couldn't help giggling a little. "I know, Mommy. But you don't have to point out that you're still a head taller than me," I said, pretending to pout. 

My mother grinned. "You'll grow. That's the only part left to develop, seeing as you've gotten some fine assets from your father's side of the family…" She scrutinized my chest. "My, but those _are_ nice. I'm stuck with these tiny things, while you're taking after your grandmother; she had hooters the size of—" 

"Mooom!" I groaned, blushing and lightly swatting her poking finger away. " It's bad enough that I get that from Miss Lina; do you have to do it too? It's not _my_ fault that my chest is so big…" 

"While this conversation is very interesting, Madam Seyruun," Bob drawled, "I think you should hurry a little in telling her the more important stuff. We haven't got much time left." 

Mommy put her hands on her hips. "If I've told you once, I've told you dozens of times…it's RUDE to interrupt people." 

Bob blinked. "But…" 

"No buts, mister. Now move away; this is a private conversation." 

"But…" 

"I know the time, so go. Or I'll tie your tail into a knot." 

Cowering, Bob slithered away. I gave my mother a curious look. 

"Um… how do you two know each other?" 

She sighed. "He used to be my pet when I was a travelling sorceress. That was before I met your father, of course." 

I was surprised (and a teeny bit annoyed). "Pet? But that's not very just! Brau Demons are smart creatures that don't deserve to be treated that way, even if they are… demons." 

She sighed. "I know, I know. I was young and proud back then. I made a few mistakes that I'm not too happy with today, but I can't do anything about them now. Anyway, after I got married to your father, I entrusted Bob to my friend Rezo, whom I thought would take care of him." She held out a hand to stop my question. "I was wrong about that too, I know. That whole Shabranigdu business. Poor Rezo; he was a good man before the insanity took hold of him." 

"…So then…" 

"By that time, Bob had been… combined, with your friend Zelgadis." 

"_What?!_" I exclaimed. "That means… he really IS the same one…" 

My mother nodded. "That's enough about Bob, I think." Her expression became more sombre. "I'm afraid that Bob is right; I don't have much time left to talk to you." 

"Why?" 

"Lina has cast the Giga Slave." 

"Giga… Slave? Isn't that the spell that she used to defeat Shabranigdu with?" I was confused… wait. _If she cast it… the world might--_

She closed her eyes and exhaled. "Don't worry, it won't blow the world up… but it _will_ destroy Hellmaster Phibrizzo as well. With his death, the souls of your friends and you will return to their respective bodies… and leave this place." 

"Meaning that… I won't ever see you again?" 

She ruffled my hair affectionately; there was a comforting smile on her face. 

"Don't worry about it. Now is the time where I give you the motherly advice I haven't bestowed upon you for years," she chuckled. 

"Mooom…" 

"Hush, dear. Now, I know you've taken after your father in many ways, including his enthusiasm about Justice, but please, keep in mind that there's a line between idealism and realism." She gripped my shoulder. "Don't be rash when you have to act. Try to think of the consequences when you do something; trying to talk the Chaos Dragon into surrendering was one of the strangest things I've seen you do yet, and it wasn't exactly a good idea, was it?" She frowned. 

"I know… it was a really stupid thing to do," I mumbled sullenly. 

"Good. That's a lesson you'll need to keep in mind for the years ahead." Her eyes gazed into the darkness behind me, seeming to stare at something far away in the future. "Ceipheid, how time flies… you're fifteen already, aren't you?" 

I nodded. She wrapped her arms around me in a tight hug that I welcomed. 

"My dear Mel… how I wish I could still be around to help you with what you're going to face. There's so much more for you to do in the living world…but as long as you have your friends," she backed away slightly to look me in the eye, "you'll be all right. Always stay together and help each other, understand? You'll need them more than ever, one day. Just as they will need you." 

"… Mommy? Is… something going to happen?" 

She nodded gravely. "But I'm afraid I can't tell you, sweetie. Only those who are no longer in the living world know its future, and that information is not for the likes of you." Her eyes held a faint trace of tears. "I'm so sorry, Mel." 

I hugged her reassuringly. "It's okay, Mommy. I understand… and I'll be ready to face whatever it is when it comes."

"That's my girl." 

"We're running out of time, Madam Seyruun!!" Bob's voice called from the darkness. My mother sighed. 

"One last thing, then… I approve." 

I blinked. "Huh?" 

She gave me a sly look. "Don't play dumb, dear. You know whom I'm talking about. It seems that someone has a thing for a certain cool, somewhat depressing chimera…" 

"M-mooom!!" I wailed, feeling the blood rushing to my cheeks. "It's not like that! Mr. Zelgadis and I are just friends, that's all…" 

"Really?" She raised an eyebrow, then shrugged. "If you say so, dear. Just keep in mind that if you do decide to go out with him, you have my approval. He's a very nice boy, even if he does have a bit of a shyness problem." 

"Mommy…" 

"Oh, and when you start dating with him, do be careful and make sure that he keeps his hands away from the no-no areas. Sometimes even the most reserved people have hidden fetishes, you can never tell…" 

"…" 

"All right, all right, I'll stop." She chuckled. "You're red enough to glow in here. I think I'll leave it to Phil or Lina to give you 'The Talk'." 

I exhaled, feeling the blood leave my cheeks. Getting tips on my… love life was _not_ quite what I'd expected. How much had she seen of me with Zelgadis, anyway?

_Most probably, everything. Moooom…_

She smirked slightly before turning away and yelling, "Bob! Get back here now! We're done!" 

The Brau Demon slithered towards us with a glum look. My mother gave him The Evil Look, trademark of all mothers. He fixed a grin on his face. 

"Sometimes," I heard him muttering through his teeth, "I wonder why I used to be nice to you." 

"I love you too, Bob-honey," she replied sweetly. 

Bob glared at her before turning to look at me. "It's almost time to go." 

My mood fell. "Already?" 

He nodded sombrely. "Madam Seyruun, please proceed." 

My mother gently took my wrist and, with an index finger, traced the line of my wrist. A pink glow illuminated the path of her finger, then solidified into the shape of a familiar bracelet. 

"Those talismans you have are magic amplifiers," she explained as she did the same for the other wrist. "What I've done will activate them when you return. As long as you wear them, they'll increase the capacity and strength of your magic. They'll only work for you, though." 

"Why?" 

"They're heirlooms from my side of the family. Only those of the same blood can use them, and only if the previous owner allows them to. They also function as locator beacons in the Astral Plane; with one, you can find the other." 

I studied the two glowing 'bracelets' now wrapped around my wrists; they weren't quite the same as the ones I wore. They seemed to be formed from light that throbbed with power, and I could feel that power slowly seeping into me, somehow… And now, I noticed, my arms and body were glowing a brighter white in the darkness. 

"I… Thanks, Mommy." I smiled gratefully. She returned it with a grin. 

"They should help you out of a scrape or two, at least. And as for the rest, Bob and his 'partner' can take care of them." She eyed the demon meaningfully. He bowed his head in agreement. 

"Heck," he commented cheerfully, "I don't even have to do anything. Zelgadis'll act by himself to save her." 

A valiant attempt to stop blushing failed. 

_What are you so embarrassed about? You know he would._

_But stiiill…_

"Well, it's time to part, then…" My mother rapped me lightly on the head. 

"Ow! What was that… for?" 

My initial surprise faded as a thin band— no, thread—of colour drew itself around each of my right fingers, forming a glowing ring on each digit. Every band was attached to another thread of the same colour that shot off into the darkness, forming faint guides to unknown destinations, perhaps.

"Four yellow and one red…no blue? Not too surprising, I suppose," Bob commented.

"What are they for?" I asked, puzzled.

"Each thread leads to someone you know. All your friends, save Lina, are here in Limbo. They're safe, yes, but all of you need to gather together to leave this place. There's an exit that a friend of mine is providing," said Mommy. 

"My friends?" _So Bob was right. They…lost. Only Lina's left… _"Which one do I follow?" 

"That's up for you to decide," she replied. 

I examined the threads. The yellow ones were glowing with various degrees of intensity; three of them were fainter than the remaining one. The 'red' thread wasn't really pure red; it seemed to be a mix of red and yellow that weaved together into a single cord, forming a line far brighter and thicker than the rest. 

_Well, if I have to pick one, I guess the brightest one would be the best. And it seems to pull stronger, somehow… all of the threads feel like they're tugging me to wherever they lead, but the red one pulls the hardest. Is it trying to tell me that I should follow it?_

"Mel…" I faced my mother, who was watching me with a forlorn expression. "Take care of yourself and your father. Seyruun will be under your rule one day, but don't let royal duties interfere with the more important ones." She gave me one last hug, then reluctantly let go and stepped back. 

"I'll always be watching over both of you…" She smiled sadly. "So go on, then. Go back to where you belong." 

"I…" My voice choked. "I'll miss you…" 

"We'll meet again… someday. Be strong for me, child." 

Wiping my tears away, I managed a smile. "I'll try." 

"Goodbye, sweetie. And remember… I love you." 

And I was alone again. 

**~TBC**

**A/N**: This was at turns fun and frustrating to write. I found the hardest part to be the end; I have real problems writing emotional scenes. I like the way the general chapter turned out, though I think that better work could have been done to develop Amelia's thoughts. Never mind. The next chapter has a lot less dialogue. Oh, and more Zel, too. ^_^

**On Ame's Mom, a.k.a Mdm. Seyruun:** She's a blend of an older Lina's attitude and my own mommy's personality (she calls me sweetie too ^__^), which makes for a frightening combination, really. ^_^ I had loads of fun writing her conversation with Amelia, since it's reminiscent of my own experience with being given the 'lecture' on how to behave with my future boyfriend O_O;;

I believe that most of the physical endowments of Amelia and Naga come from Phil's side, judging by his physique ^_~ The height, the…chestological area (no, I'm not implying that Phil has THOSE _;;) and the hair. The facial and overall body structure, however, likely came from Mom's side of the family, since my theory is that if they were Phil's genes, Ame and Naga would be more stout and slightly more square-jawed.

Just another one of my many biological theories in Slayers. ^_~ You should hear the ones I form in my head about Zel's physiology…Alright, shutting up now. See y'all next chappie, in another two days' time ^_^


	5. Chapter 4: Abscedo, Part II

**A/N:** And here's Chapter 4, a.k.a The First Chapter Posted That Has Not Been Beta-d. I'm now sailing through a bit of an unknown sea, now, but I hope it's satisfactory. Thanks muchly to my beta, Sunoko, without whom the first 4 parts would not be as cool as they are now. ^_~ Oh, credit goes to her for the part in Abscedo-1 about the Ame-boobs thing (cackles) 

**Ichiban Victory:** Amelia's mom is highly underrated, in my opinion. She's mostly remembered as 'dead-parent-of-Amelia-who-was-assasinated' and then the assassin comes after Amelia/Zelgadis/Philionel, yaddayadda, and not much is said about Mme. Seyruun herself. She's a sorceress (a fact not well known) and one can infer a lot about her from the outfit, the fact that she'd marry someone like Phil (no offence to him ^_^) and the personalities of her daughters. I'd like to see more people out there take little-known but important characters in the series and expand them (e.g: Luna, Rezo pre-Shabby, Sylphiel, Martina, Zangulus…heck, even Vrumugun). There's so much a good writer can do with these guys if s/he just thinks about them and builds their story based on the clues you get in the series. (Aw, crud, I've turned this into a long rant _) And yes, I believe that Lina and Amelia are actually closer sisters to each other than to their biological ones. Strange, isn't it, how those two are alike in some ways?

Oh, and no, Zel won't meet Bob in _this_ story. ^_^

**Earth Star:** Hope you'll enjoy what's left… it's going to turn a bit odd, though, Blame sleep-deprivated-muses.

**Phizzy-chan:** Assets? You ain't seen nothin' yet XD Kidding. Hey, I figure moms are usually like that (my mom is to me _) Thanks for the comments, but I don't write these chappies; they're already done! ^___^

**J. Rhaye:** Congrats on your victory in the Switchboard contest! I enjoyed Spaghetti Western lots, and I initially thought that either Dreamsinger or Winged Dancer had written it; it was cool!! ^__^ (blushworks) I'm honoured by your compliments, really, and I don't think I'm that good as you say _ _ _ I've just got a great beta and an original concept. Amazing what you can do with those ^_^ And in a sense, yes, Mme. Seyruun is Megumi-ish. Can you imagine the consequences if both Naga and her did 'The Laugh' in the same room simultaneously? @_@

**Sunoko:** The assets are yours! ^____^ Lotsa huggles to you, and I hope this uncut chapter doesn't have too many errors _

**The Narrator:** Ooh, you guessed it too. It was pretty obvious who Bob was, really (I think people would've been more surprised if he WASN'T Zel's) but ya know, he could've heard about Amelia from her mommy ^_~ They do talk when Zel's asleep, after all…Now there's another hint. ^_^ Read on!

**A/N On The Story:** The previous chapter officially finishes Mme. Seyruun and Bob's part in this story. Note the details in this fic series, guys; I tend to drop little hints here and there of what's to come. ^_~

**Light In Darkness**

**Chapter 4: Abscedo, Part II**

The window went black after Lina cast the Giga Slave. As though it were a signal, the three of us stood simultaneously. 

"So… what happens now?" I asked. 

Now, you go back to the real world," Zolf replied. 

"… Is there even a world to go back to?" 

"Well, the only way to find out's to throw you back in it," he countered with a smirk. I glared at him, wondering if he was joking or…

"Aye, there is. If there wasn't, there'd be no future, and we've seen that future." Rodimus nodded. "So there will be a world for it, lad." 

"The future?" My eyes widened. _If they've seen it, then…_

"Only glimpses of it. Don't get too excited; we're not allowed to tell you about it," Zolf interrupted. 

"What we _can_ tell you is that you'll have many challenges ahead when you return, Master Zelgadis." 

"But if you do the right things, you'll be happy in the end." 

I frowned. "That's not very helpful, is it?" 

"Considering the fact that you're gonna forget everything we've told you here in Limbo, what we tell you won't be helpful anyway." 

"I will?" I folded my arms, my expression darkening. "So there's no point in asking…" 

"Remember; your mind isn't here, lad. That's where most of your earthly memories are, so what we tell you here won't sink in _there_. But if you listen enough with your soul," he touched my chest with a finger, "you'll know it, though not very clearly, when you're in the real world again." 

"My soul…" I stared hard at myself, but saw nothing. Did I really have a soul? A creature as twisted as I? 

And yet, from somewhere within, there came a firm _yes_. 

"Wait a minute." I gave them a strange look. "How is it that you can see me, but I can't see myself?" 

The two glanced at each other. 

"He can't see himself?" Zolf asked. 

"I suppose that must be a trait of half-dead souls that are in denial," Rodimus replied noncommittally. 

"Denial?" I repeated incredulously.

"Yeah, since so far all you've done is deny the fact that you have a human soul. Therefore, you can't see yourself since all you are right now _is_ a soul. Oh, you're naked, by the way," Zolf commented.

 I twitched. "I knew that." 

"Well, that's gonna be embarrassing. Too bad we can't give ghost clothes to you or something." The sorcerer smirked. 

"You're not exactly helping my self-esteem here, Zolf." I glared at him. 

"We're wasting time." Rodimus scowled at Zolf, who sighed and took on a more solemn expression. "These are our last words to you, lad, so listen carefully." 

The word 'last' carried a solemn note of finality. I paid attention.

"First off, like I said earlier, don't ruin your life by endlessly searching for a cure," said Zolf. "You'll just keep going round and round in circles. Don't let a 'monstrous' exterior affect what's inside. No matter what, you're human, even if you try to deny it most of the time." 

"Second," said Rodimus, "learn to appreciate your friends more. They're the ones that won't judge you for how you look. As long as you have them, you'll know that you're never on your own. You'll have people to rely on when you need them." 

"And third…" Zolf gave me a devious wink. "Don't be afraid to express your feelings about those you care for." 

I stared at him. "What are you implying?" 

"Oh, check it out, Rodimus; he's blushing!" The sorcerer cackled with glee, and I was made painfully aware of the colour invasion occurring on my cheeks. 

"Knock it off," I mumbled sullenly. 

"Seriously, though…" said the sorcerer, "Don't keep it in. Let people know if you appreciate them. It helps a lot to know that a person's efforts to get you to open up aren't in vain." 

_… He IS implying something, isn't he?_

Zolf merely shrugged. 

Rodimus clapped me on the shoulder. "Take care of yourself, lad. And above all, remember; listen to your _heart_, more than your _mind_, when there's a decision to make. It never goes wrong." 

I gave him a sincere smile. "Thanks, Rodimus. I'll…try to keep that in mind." 

Zolf gave me a meaningful look. 

"Thanks to you too, Zolf." I said in a mock-grumbling tone. He grinned and took my hand, shaking it. 

"I've gotta admit, while working under you was annoying in terms of safety, it was also the best time I'd ever had. I mean, when people down here ask me how I died, I can say, "I was fighting against the Ruby-Eyed Lord himself!" and that's a distinction no-one's gotten for centuries. And besides…" His face took on a distant look. "It's the first time I've actually done something meaningful. Even if I failed, I know that at least I was a part of the whole thing, you know? It makes a guy feel valuable, somehow." 

I quirked an eyebrow. "Are you actually being philosophical?" 

"Yeah, and it's the last time you'll hear it from me." Zolf smirked. 

"It's time for you to leave, Master Zelgadis." 

"All right. So… I guess this is goodbye, huh?" I smiled sadly. I would miss them, even if Zolf _was_ rather exasperating at times.

"We'll be keeping tabs on you." Rodimus nodded. 

I waited for the sudden teleportation. 

Moments passed. 

"… Aren't I supposed to disappear or something?" 

Rodimus looked at Zolf. "Did we forget anything?" 

Zolf blinked, then smacked a fist against his palm. "You're right! The thread thingy…" 

"'Thread thingy'?" 

"Yeah. Hold still." 

Out of nowhere, the sorcerer whipped out a boulder-sized hammer and---

WHAM.

**~*~**

I picked the red thread. 

As I trailed it, the other yellow ones slowly split further towards other directions and grew fainter. Walking took no thought; instead, my mind reflected on what I'd seen here.

_I'd never thought I'd see Mommy again. It feels so good to know that she's still there, even if she's no longer in the real world… and still watching over Daddy and me_. I touched the light bracelet, feeling the warmth emanating from it; it reminded me of her hugs. They weren't like Daddy's, though his were fun and really squishy. Mommy's were always gentle and comfortable, and told you that everything would be all right, and it felt like you could stay there, safe in her arms, forever…

_I'm crying again, aren't I?_

I rubbed the tears away quickly. _I promised her that I'd be strong for her. I won't cry…_

But gods, it was so hard to do. Knowing that she was _there_, seeing her again after so _long_, but only to have her leave me again… or rather, I leave her…

"Stop it, Amelia. Just stop thinking about it," I told myself. I had to focus. I had to find my way out of here and back to my friends, to Daddy, to Zelgadis…

_Whoops. There go the blushworks again. I really shouldn't think about that. Him. Whatever._

_But still… I wonder how Zelgadis is doing? He looked… scared. He was so scared, I could see it in his eyes when I was about to die. And…I really didn't like seeing him that way._

_It shows that even though he tries to be cold and heartless sometimes, he really does care about people. He just doesn't show that side of himself very often. But when he does… it's usually for you, isn't it?_

_…But I don't like making people feel worried about me. It's a horrible thing to go through, wondering what a loved one could be going through…_

_'Loved'? Did I just use that to describe myself… from HIS perspective? Oh, no; my cheeks are heating up again…_

_He's a really good person at heart, isn't he? He always thinks that he's a freak and that nobody can see past his looks, but… WE do. Lina, Gourry, even Sylphiel and maybe Martina and Zangulus… we know that the stone is only on the outside. I just wish he could see himself for who he is inside._

_Maybe he will, someday. He needs someone who understands him, who can teach him how to open up once in a while and show him that he's really human, that it doesn't matter what his body has become._

_And I guess until he finds someone else, I'll help him however I can._

The red thread tugged noticeably harder, for some reason, after I'd finished my musings. Maybe it meant that I was about to reach whoever it was leading me to.

And there was a pleasant half-thought that maybe, just maybe, it would be _him._

**~*~**

I sat up with a bad headache.

"Argh… what was THAT for?!" I yelled in annoyance, massaging the egg on my scalp. _Damn, it HURTS!_ There was no answer. In fact, there wasn't anything at all; just darkness and silence once more.

_Wait… what's this?_

I stared at my left hand, bewildered. There were strange cords of light tied to each finger, disappearing into the darkness beyond. One reddish-yellow, one yellow, and the rest blue.

And now, I could see myself. My human self, glowing a muted white, and without a single disfiguring stone embedded in the skin.

I was still in the nude, though.

_…Well, this is an improvement. I think. Now I can enjoy the same view as anyone else in this place, _I thought dryly.

Getting up, I examined the new additions to my current… apparel. Touching the light did not cause an electric shock or an explosion; my finger went right through. Yet, the threads gently tugged against my fingers, as though compelling me to follow them wherever they led. 

_They must be some sort of Astral tracer… I suppose they're meant to lead me to the exit of this place, but why five, and why are they all headed in different directions? Maybe it's some sort of riddle. But what happens if I choose the wrong thread?_

"I loathe multiple-choice questions…" I muttered, trying to figure out the answer. Whoever set this up was plainly trying to confuse me, or trick me into going somewhere I shouldn't. Who knew what lay beyond in that darkness? Surely, for a pocket of the Astral Plane, there would be more than just human souls…__

Just PICK already. It's not as if anyone could do anything to you; you're DEAD, for crying out loud.

_There are some things worse than death._

_…just pick one. Remember what Rodimus said? "Listen to your heart's voice"._

_Well now, since you're the only other voice in here besides mine… tell me, Mr. Heart, what does your voice think I should do now?_ Sarcastically.

_Red._

_Huh?_

_Follow the red one. It's not like you can THINK of a better choice, can you?_

…

I closed my eyes and felt the persistent pull of the red thread against my ring finger. The others were weaker in comparison…

_Heart's voice, heart's choice. Alright, then… let's see where this trail leads._

**~TBC**

**A/N:** Plenty of Zel, less of Amelia. Right. I tried to keep Ame's thoughts in a particular direction, mainly about her mom and all, but _it wouldn't listen!!!! _ . 

As for why Zel needed a hammer over the head in comparison to Ame's light thwack; let's just say that when it comes to being in denial, Zel's a whole lot thicker in the head. Hehe.

And if I've taken a quote line or two that looks familiar, tell me in a review ^_~


	6. Chapter 5: Scarlat Ligamen

**A/N**: Chapter 5! There's only 2 more left to _this_ fic, so savor what you can ^_^ and this fic should be complete by Sunday…

**The Narrator**: Zel does lend himself to being abused a lot. Notice how in the series that he as the 'angsty guy' of the team is often the butt of most jokes ^_^ I figured that Ame was really worried about Zel for her last words to be "It's okay…it's okay…" Awww…

**Ichiban Victory**: Hint, is all I'll say ^_^ Zelgadis'll take a bit of time to get the message, cause he's a stubborn rockhead. -_- As for taking it to heart…^_~ Heck, even Rodimus is gonna wish that he'd whacked Zel when he had the chance. ^_^

**Earth Star**: Here's the meeting, and things get weird O_O

**Mossygirl**: Ooh, another Harvest Moon player ^_^ Yes, the colors do indicate stuff, as explained later…

**Deep Sea Dolphin**: Well, if Mme. Seyruun had been like Zel, it'd probably explain Ame's preferences…but then again, who knows? ^_^ Credit for the hooters goes to Sunoko, my cool beta.

**J. Rhaye**: Congrats on writing the thickest review I've had yet XD Yup, Zel needed that talk, and although it doesn't seem to have much effect yet, it's pretty important for upcoming…stuff… ^_^ I like Hammerspace. Anyway, I think that Zolf and Rodimus were quite close to Zel considering they'd betray a powerful guy like Rezo to help him ^_^ Thanks so much for your comments (now I know I'm doing something right ^_^) and yes, the two naked people find each other…hehehe. ^_^

**A/N On The Story**: In which the two protoganists find each other, some embarassing stuff happens, and a weird mental thing occurs. 

**

Light In Darkness

** **

Chapter 5: Scarlat Ligamen

**

_So what will you do, once you go back to the real world?_

_What else is there? Search once again for a cure. I doubt that this current humanity, while wonderful, will last when I'm revived._

_Is the cure really worth everything? Look at yourself now; human, yes, but in exchange for everything else. Your companions, your magic, your very life itself._

_But it's not forever! I'm returning, aren't I?_

_That's right, but it means returning back to the way things were before. It means the loss of your human body, and a return to that which you call a monstrosity. The question is, why do you still seek a cure, knowing what you might have to do in exchange someday?_

_You don't know what it will take to turn my body back to normal. It's out there, somewhere, and there's no way you can tell right now what I'll need to do. You can't see the future; you're me, damn it!_

_And yet… surely you yourself cannot tell if there is a cure at all. For if I am you, and you are I, neither of us knows for certain. And should the day come when you do find your chance for a cure… what will you give up for it? Is it really worth the price?_

_…I can't believe this. Rodimus is taking over my mind._

_He knows you well enough, and he knows the world well enough to give true advice. His words are not so preposterous as you think they are._

_If you're me, can't you see that this cure means everything to me?! I have no life to give up! What chance I had at having one was taken away from me when Rezo changed me into the freak I am! It's because I want a life, a normal, human life, that I'm looking for a damned cure in the first place!_

_What is humanity? Is it having human skin, human hair, human looks?_

_Yes! What humanity lies in stone skin and wire hair? In being unable to touch, to feel? Unable to walk among men without receiving cries of horror and disgust?_

_Then that would mean Xelloss is more human than you, would it not?_

_…N-no, of course not!_

_But it does. He has skin, and hair, and looks. If your definition of humanity is such, then even the Chaos Dragon Gaav, or Hellmaster Phibrizzo, are more human than you._

_I… _

_What is humanity? To be truly human?_

_I…_

_Is it only the outside that matters? Look inside yourself, within your heart, and say truly; what makes one human?_

_…I don't know. I really don't know._

_…Then we shall find out together…_

The second voice fell silent, but the question still rang through my mind with the clarity—and persistence—of a bell.

I thwacked myself over the head.

_I was having an argument with me. Right. What's next, the lunatic's asylum? Or maybe Limbo has an effect of turning people insane—wait a minute. There's something ahead…_

In the darkness, a distinct glow was slowly approaching. 

Instinct set me on the alert; this was who the thread was leading me to, but it could be anyone. Or anything. But the voice within whispered that it was alright, and that I should go without fear, because nothing bad would happen.

The distance between us closed, and I could see what was illuminated by the glow.

Familiar black hair, petite figure, blue eyes…

_Gods, it's Amelia!_

_And you're both naked!_

_Oh, crapper._ _Breathe, Zelly-boy, breathe. Inhale, exhale. Think neutral thoughts. Think good thoughts. And whatever you do, DON'T LOOK!_

_Whoo! She's naked! Look at those assets, boy! See 'em jiggle? _

_NOT good thoughts!  Brain seizing up… too much information…_

"Mr. Zelgadis? Is that you— yikes!" 

_Ack. Brain shutdown immediate._

**

~*~

**

While the spectacle of Zelgadis without his usual attire---and _human_, on top of that— was… err, shocking enough, it was even more amazing to see him turn an unusual shade of magenta before falling to the floor with a loud thud. 

_Whoops._

**

~*~

**

Something was patting me on the cheek. 

_I had a bad dream. I dreamt that I met a naked Amelia. And I was naked too. Well, maybe it's not so bad… arrgh, what am I thinking?!_

I opened one eye and saw Amelia's concerned face (and more besides) looming over me. 

"Um… are you all right, Mr. Zelgadis?" 

I shut the eye. "Amelia? Could you turn away, please?" Curse the confounded squeak in my voice!

Giving her several seconds, I opened my eyes again and found myself gazing at her back. Her ears were faintly pink, confirming the suspicion that yes, the 15-year-old princess had gotten a good look at my gonads. Or at least, most of my body. I hastily turned around.

_Oh Gods. Of all the possible ways to meet again… Sometimes I wonder what exactly Ceiphied has against me._

Somewhere, the spirit of the dragon god was cackling. I was sure of it.

**

~*~

**

_Um… that was… interesting. No, wait, that doesn't sound right. Enlightening? I had no idea that guys had… those weird things—_

_Stopstopstop!!! _I hit myself on the head_. Do NOT go there! Think about something else!_

Silence.

I twiddled my thumbs.

More silence. Just as I was about to say something—

"Amelia?"

"…Yes?"

"I'm…glad you're okay, at least. I thought I'd--" I could hear the rustle of his hair as he shook his head abruptly in the total silence. "--never mind. We're both in the same boat, anyway."

"But we're going back, aren't we? So…so we're not really gone. I bet Mr. Gourry and the others are too, somewhere out there, and we'll all meet again and go back, so there's nothing to worry about…" _Warning: Rambling Alert. _I stopped the flow of words,  blushing. He'd admitted that he was concerned about me…

"Yeah, we are."

Silence.

"The red thread…" I whispered, gazing at the scarlet cord of light around my finger. "It's tied to you too, isn't it?"

A pause. "Mmm." Longer pause. "Do you think it means anything?"

"I don't really know… maybe it means our souls are tied together! Like the physical manifestation of the bond of friendship, or…something." Scepticism radiated off him. "Well, I was told that each of these led to one of my friends…"

"It seems that much is true. It does look as though we're all tied together, somehow." 

"So… what do we do now?"

The other threads, I noticed, were slowly converging in a single direction. The pull grew stronger, as though the force of the four threads were combined into one.

"…I suppose we follow the path where it leads us. Out of here, I hope."

"Me too… And by the way, Mr. Zelgadis… I noticed that you're human."

"Mmm. Too bad this isn't going to last." A tinge of bitterness. "I was told so myself."

I scooted closer, back to him, and tentatively patted his shoulder. He flinched and tensed.

"It's okay, Mr. Zelgadis… your real body isn't bad."

Quick as lightning, he grasped my hand, eliciting a squeak from me. He gave me a look of such pure anguish, such sadness, that it hurt my heart to see him that way.

I felt my face heat up as his fingers gently ran over mine, caressing them.

"Do you know what this feels like to me?" His hand was soft as a new-born's; was it because his real human skin never had the chance to harden? "To be able to feel your fingers? To actually distinguish--" 

He closed his eyes, touching the tip of the finger encircled by the glowing red circle.  

"--between your skin and your nails? To touch something and _feel_ every nuance of hard or soft, coarse or smooth? For five long years, Amelia, I've been living each day having everything I touch dulled by a layer of stone. And the loss of feeling and pressure…"

His grip tightened slightly. 

"…it took me months before I could grip a cup without cracking it within my hands. Do _you_ know what that feels like? You, who for your whole life have been able to _feel_ anything, whether you chose to or not? You never had to watch whatever you touched for fear of breaking it. You couldn't. Your hands wouldn't leave tears in fabric if you held too tightly. Your fingers wouldn't bruise people if you poked them. People wouldn't get themselves a bloody nose if they bumped into you."

There was an increasingly hysterical note in his voice which was starting to scare me. His voice grew frantic as he opened his dull blue eyes and stared into mine.

"Hell, why do you think everything I wear is made of _burlap_? It's the only thing that doesn't shred itself to bits by rubbing against my skin. Burlap, burlap, nothing but bloody BURLAP for five years." He _giggled_. "And now I'm not wearing anything, and when we go back it'll be back to that freak of a body again, wearing burlap again… gods, Amelia," He jerked his hand free from mine and turned away, huddling and shivering. "What's happening to me? I'm going insane…"

_Oh, Zelgadis…_Not knowing what else to do, I  knelt behind him and gave the biggest hug I could, resting my chin on his shoulder and closing my eyes.

"You're not going insane. I won't let you," I said firmly into his ear. "You're right; I don't know how you feel, and that's because you've never told us how you felt in the first place. And now that you have…" I hugged tighter. "Don't worry, Mr. Zelgadis. We'll help you find your cure. I promise."

He held my arms in his hands, not saying a word. Just sitting together in silence, being comforted and _feeling_…

**~TBC**

A/N: O_O I didn't quite expect this to happen, but it just poured out all of a sudden… And Zel goes loony. Whoo. No worries, he's gonna forget everything that happened here. Which is a good thing, and a bad thing too… Reviews and flames about any OOCness are welcome. ^_^


	7. Chapter 6: Retounare

**A/N:** Chapter 6, the final one… then the Epilogue, of course. T_T Alas, to all things must come an end… sometimes. (cackles) As usual, the reviews of the reviews follow:

**Delta VT**: Oh, Zelgadis is going to lose it a lot more. ^_~

**Earth Star**: "It wasn't me! It was the evil mind-warping thoughts of Bob!!!" screams our favourite chimera. Sure, Zel; we all believe ya ^_^ I love sap. However, I like my sap to come in gradual, small doses at a time, unless it's a Really Drama/Romantic occasion (and even so with a nice dash of humor ^_^)

**Ichiban Victory**: I really wasn't thinking of the game when I thought of the color-plot-device, it hey, it worked subliminally X3 I'm pretty much screwing around with Zel here; it's like saying to someone in Hell, 'Hey, I'm giving you a taste of Heaven for 5 seconds, then you're back here for the rest of your godforsaken life'. Sometimes ignorance IS bliss. (And though Ame might be mortified, Zel would probably commit the image to memory; that sly dog! ^_~)

**Phizzy-chan**: Creepy? You ain't seen creepy yet ^_____^

**Sunoko**: I still want those betas, missy! ^_~ It'll do me good to revise these chappies, anyhoo…

**The Narrator**: Crud, if that was the best chapter, I'm afraid this one won't be up to snuff _ I like freaking Zel out. I think everyone does too. His character, as stated before, just lends itself to being the butt of jokes ^_^ And I think that every Zel fangirl, at one point, has probably thought about grabbing Zel and slamming The Point into his head with a nice hammer.

**DSD**: The end of the red thread is each other (Zel-Ame, Ame-Zel). Or maybe I didn't describe enough _ I was never good at description…never liked long paragraphs of adjectives…. (sneaks off)

**Mossygirl**: Sore wa… fill in the blanks. ^_^

**J. Rhaye**: (griiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinclamp) Ahem. ^_^;; Need to stop grinning when I get nice reviews. Anyhoo, a theme in this story is how Amelia and Zelgadis are so unlike each other in personality, outlook and general attitude; note how Amelia tends to think more of others, voices her thoughts out loud and is trusting of others, whereas Zel focuses more on himself, thinks to himself (as in internal conversation) and is more apt to be cynical. More on plot points (including on the humanity issue) later in the Major Author's Note in the Epilogue. ^_^ Remember, it ain't Slayers if there isn't a pinch of humor in every episode or two. And your suspicions are probably correct ^_^ I love Z/A.

Gaaah. J. Rhaye-sama, you've just made it mandatory for me to write a big chunk of Opinions On The Protoganists for the Epilogue. _

**A/N On The Story**: This chapter's short, but pretty much wraps it all up. I hope it's satisfactory -_- The protoganists meet their companions, and it's outta Limbo they go… but it won't be the last time this little alternate universe appears… ^___^

**Light In Darkness**

**Chapter 6: Retounare**

"I saw my mother again, you know."

After I'd sufficiently composed myself, Amelia had released me from her embrace and, blushing, we stood and began to follow the trail. We were walking together, comfortably side by side, on a single path through the darkness. I did not want to talk further on my 'breakdown', and Amelia had respected that, so the walk had been silent.

Her sudden statement caught me by surprise, though.

_Her mother? The Queen of Seyruun…I remember now. She passed away years ago, didn't she? And her elder daughter --Amelia's sister-- went missing after that…_

`"I hadn't seen her for ten years." Amelia had a wistful, sad look. "We talked…she told me a lot of stuff, and I met--" she hesitated, which raised an eyebrow on my part, "—an old friend of hers. They told me about the threads and all, and Mommy gave me these."

I noted the 'bracelets' of light she indicated, wrapped around her wrists. Curious, I asked, "Did she say what they were meant for?"

"Yup! You know those talismans I have? Well, they're apparently magic amplifiers meant only for people in my family. They have to be activated by someone of the same blood, and they're supposed to be astral locators too."

"Hmm… but that would mean that Mazoku could trace you as well, wouldn't it?" I frowned.

"No, no, it's not like that; my _mother_ wouldn't give me a bad gift like that!" She glared at me. I was instantly contrite; and thankfully, she grinned and faced front again. "She said that the two locate each other, so if I left one somewhere, I could find it again."

"I see… it would be a great help in enhancing the power of your spells, wouldn't it?"

"Mmm! And she also told me that… she'd always watch over me and Daddy. I really think that it's great to have someone taking care of you, even when they're gone… like a guardian angel, don't you think? They're always there even if you don't see them…" Her voice grew soft once more. The walk lapsed into silence.

_And back to melancholy again. Her moods sure change fast._

_Why DID she share this with me, anyway?_

_Perhaps she's trying to tell me that I'm not alone. That there's another I know who has gone through pain in her life, too._

_It must have been traumatic for her; she, barely five years old, and her mother assassinated in another power play by some corrupt politician or relative. I'd never really thought about it, but after all she's gone through—betrayal by trusted family members, the loss of even more-- she's still so naive, so cheerful and optimistic. She has so much inner strength, even though her past was as horrible as mine…in different ways, but no less intense._

_And yet… we turned out to be complete opposites. I suppose that it's because she had the love and support of her father, and a duty to her people, whereas I had no one to turn to. Rezo… he effectively cut me off from human companionship. _

_But, _the second voice interjected, _you had Zolf and Rodimus. They were friends to you, yet you chose to remain detached and wallow in your own misery. It came down to attitude, in the end; Amelia chose to channel her grief outward, into a motivation for bringing justice to the world, whereas you turned the point against yourself. You've been slowly killing yourself, all this while._

_…_

_In the end…it all came down to how you chose to take it. To see the empty half of the glass, spending your days angsting about your accursed fate… or to see the full half, using that 'curse' for a greater good?_

I took her right hand in my left and squeezed it lightly. She looked up, startled. I gave her a smile, then began to speak.

"I met two old friends of mine… Zolf and Rodimus. You don't know them, but if Lina told you about our previous adventures, then maybe you've heard their names before…"

~*~

**[Zel's POV, once more]**

The trail eventually led to a large, glowing circle on the floor with several runes inscribed on the border. Gourry was seated on the edge of the circle with Zangulus beside him; the former napping peacefully, the latter fiddling with his hands. Both of them had their backs to the circle. 

On the other side, I could see the reason why; Sylphiel was there, hugging her knees to her chest, with Martina a few feet away. The Xoanan princess was sneaking a few not-so-innocent looks at the male side of the circle. 

_Good grief, we're ALL naked._ My hands automatically moved to block my privates from being seen (particularly by the aforementioned princess). I could feel the blood slowly inching up my face again… 

"Don't worry, Mr. Zelgadis," Amelia chirped, patting me on the arm. "It'll be all right." 

I sighed. Zangulus looked up and noticed us. 

"It's about time you two showed up." He grinned. "I was beginning to wonder what you were doing in the dark…" 

"Mr. Zangulus!!" Amelia glared at him, a blush tinting her cheeks.

"What was it you were saying about it 'being all right'?" I drawled. 

Martina had observed my presence, and was currently eyeing me with an interest that was a little disturbing. Hurriedly turning away from her, I went to the other males. I could feel Amelia walk away to the girls. 

"The portal hasn't opened yet," Zangulus said, answering my question. "We've been waiting for everyone to get here to see if it does. Nothing to do but wait, I suppose." 

So I stared at my human hands and waited. 

_This thread connection…_ I examined my fingers and traced the lines to the other five people. _It links us, somehow. But it's stronger with different people, like Amelia and Gourry… is it an indication of the depth of our relationships with each other? I don't know the other three that well, so the threads that connect me to them are weaker…_

_And Amelia? She and I are tied with the strongest bond of the three colours._

I smiled fondly._ I guess it's good to know that at least, somewhere in the world, I have people I can call true friends. And one, maybe more than friend…_

There was a bright flash of light behind me. 

As one, we turned to see that the circle was now glowing intensely red, and I could feel the waves of energy emanating from it. Gourry jerked awake and looked. 

"Oh, hi Zel. Is the portal thing open already?" 

"Yes… yes, it is." 

"Oh? Alright, then. Time to go." And without further ado, the blond swordsman stepped into the circle and disappeared. Sylphiel quietly followed suit. 

Zangulus nodded at me. "Meet you back there." 

I nodded. He walked to the girls' side, took a surprised Martina by the arm and warped with her. 

Only Amelia and I were left. I hesitantly approached her as she stood on the edge, gazing into the light. She faced me with a smile. 

"Let's go back, then. To where we belong." 

I closed my eyes. 

"Where we belong…" 

We crossed the edge, and all was darkness. 

**~TBC**

**A/N:** And it's…. The End!! Bye, all. Thanks for reading. (lights off)

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…Just kidding, of course. There's still an epilogue, so you can put those swords down now ^_^ On this chapter; I deliberately left some ends open on what Gourry, Sylphiel, Martina and Zangulus did during their time in Limbo. Would anyone like to try a side story? ^_~

**And now… as the author has blank space to fill… we present a preview of the wonderful finale known as "The Epilogue"! Featuring:**

**Cast interviews!**

Xelloss: So, Zelgadis-san, how did you feel about having to act with your bum to the breeze for two months? snicker I'm sure our audience would love your opinion to go with the 'behind-the-scenes' footage…

Zelgadis: What the?!! XELLOSS!!! '_Source of all power…'_

crashtinklefritzweapologizefortechnicaldifficultiespleasestandby

**Author interviews!**

Xelloss: Sano-san, is it true that you deliberately plagiarized the concept of ths fic from another author?

Sano: Sore wa himitsu desu! ^_~

**Opinions!**

Sano: And so, the answer to all of Zelgadis's problems with his self-esteem, inferiority complex, ego and love life can be summed up in two words…

audience leans closer

Sano: …green cheese.

**Reviewer awards!**

Xelloss: And the award for Best Reviewer Of The Whole Bloody Fic goes to… Me!

mazoku pulp. The hamburger condiment of choice for all enraged fangirls.

**Annnd of course…the actual Epilogue.**

_'…Well, whatever it is, we'll know about it someday. If it's important.'_


	8. Epilogue: Denuo

****

**Epilogue: Denuo**

We were on the road again. Lina and Gourry were busily chatting about the next town we were headed to; behind them, Sylphiel was taking in the surroundings with interest.   
  
Zelgadis and I were silent as we lagged behind the group. He had a pensive look, as usual, but I couldn't help feeling that he was sneaking glances at me every now and then. Strange, since he usually wasn't like that... the way he was acting, it was as though he was expecting something to happen to me at any moment.   
  
_Maybe he's just edgy after the whole Sairaag thing. I _was _the first to get... killed, after all...   
_  
And that reminded me of a question that had been nagging at me; what had happened, anyway? I couldn't remember anything between the time I blacked out and the time I woke up... but something must have happened. A feeling, deep within my soul, kept telling me that there was something important...   
  
_Maybe that's how Miss Lina and Mr. Gourry feel too._   
  
_Hmm. I wonder..._   
  
"Mr. Zelgadis?"   
  
"Huh? Wha?" He jumped slightly, startled. There was a streak of pink across his cheeks that made me wonder what he'd been thinking about.   
  
"Do you... did something happen? Back at Sairaag, when all of us were... you know..."   
  
He seemed perplexed by the question. "What do you mean?"   
  
"Um... never mind. It's ok." I sped up a bit, walking ahead to Sylphiel and proceeding to engage her in light conversation. Soon we were laughing together at a memory of a silly adventure, and the question I'd been pondering about didn't seem so important anymore.   
  
_It's probably nothing, anyway. Maybe my imagination's just working overtime._

-&-

I watched her silently, wondering.   
  
_Something happened... I don't know what, but it feels important, somehow._   
  
_She felt it too, didn't she? I think all of us did. Even Martina and Zangulus.   
  
But what could it have been?_   
  
"Mr. Zelgadis! C'mon, you're gonna be left behind!" Amelia cried out happily, waving at me from the top of a hill. I blinked and noticed how far I was from the rest of the group.   
  
"Coming," I replied, walking briskly towards them.   
  
_Well, whatever it is, we'll know about it someday. If it's important.   
  
And there was a voice inside me that said 'someday' would not be far off._

-&-

Twin bracelets glinted in the sun, and, unbeknownst to the adventurers, seemed to glow faintly scarlet, illuminating a white band of skin emblazoned on the wearer's wrists...   
  
**End (Part One)**

**End Notes**: Aaaah!! It's over!! cries My first completed series ever...but there's still two more instalments to go, so technically it ain't done TT I enjoyed writing this fic, and for the first time, I have successfully pulled off a semi-introspective Slayers fic.   
  
Muse: It's the _only_ semi-introspective fic you've done. And there was more conversation than introspection.   
  
--;; Ok, fine. I hope you've enjoyed this piece, and look out for part 2 of the Crimson Thread Trilogy! Yeah! Whoo! But before that, check out the side-fic posted up along with this epilogue. Yeah. Jaaa....  
  
**Readers**: -grab Sano and drag him back- Aren't you forgetting something?!  
  
Ahahahahaha!! You see, I'm afraid that due to the evil constraints of REAL LIFE and examinations (this being my last year in high school), I was unable the write out the opinions I promised andwillreservethemfortheendofthetrilogysobyee!!! -runs away-  
  
**Side Note**: The real name of Amelia's mother has been deliberately left ambiguous. This is to avoid turning her into another original character. I find her a very interesting person, something like my own mom. She's scary in a nice way.   
  
**Special Thanks**: To Sunoko, my excellent beta-reader who was nice enough to fix all my grammatical mistakes and plot holes before this was submitted to the Switchboard FF Contest. You rock! Hope to work with you again in the next part of the trilogy!  
  
To all my faithful readers who put up with my short chapters and sporadic ending; thank you all for sticking this far with the Excellent Adventures of Zel & Amelia In Limbo! You rock too! J. Rhaye, Ichiban Victory, The Narrator, Deep Sea Dolphin, Earth Star, Phizzy-chan, Sunoko, Winged Dancer (if you're still reading ;;)... thank you all!   
  
And let it be known, by the way, that though I may not review, I've been faithfully following all of your own fics.   
  
-Sano


End file.
